Six years ago, Marielle had the idea to help others make their own ideas happen. This was the beginning of Craft MNL.

Think of Craft MNL as a place to let your creativity run loose. Marielle says, “Craft MNL is all about workshops. It teaches people how to make, but it’s really product development. When you’re designing it in your head, you immerse in the process of making. And after making, you see that it works, and you tweak it. Then you get feedback on the finished product and tweak again. It’s a loop. But when you’ve finished, you’ve created something. And our intention is not just showing people how to make. Hopefully, people will make and make more. And it isn’t just making small things, it’s making bigger things!”

Currently, Craft MNL offers many workshops. From calligraphy to leather crafting, to wood working, there’s something for everyone who want to get their hands dirty. Seeing students bloom into entrepreneurs gives Marielle joy. “Apart from the workshops that we do, we also organize the Maker’s Market; an arts and crafts fair. Since 2013, we’ve been seeing different makers become something else. From joining our workshops, we see them join the Maker’s Market and watch them grow and evolve. Bringing people together, sharing skills, and collaborating is a very moving thing,” Marielle enthuses.

Marielle is now a proud mom to 9-month old Stella. And as she journeys through motherhood, Craft MNL is taking the ride with her. Watching her students craft their local businesses is like seeing her own babies grow. She’s like a proud parent when she has teachers and students selling side by side at the Maker’s Market. That’s Mompowerment at its most fulfilling.

During Mommy Mundo’s interview with Marielle, she looks at Stella and her eyes spark. All the effort she’s put into Craft MNL and Maker’s Market is not just for her but for Stella. She shares, “I’d like Stella to see the value of hard work. Even more so, I want her to enjoy making, enjoy what she does! And to see possibilities in everything.”